The ill fated KNM Helge Ingstad of the Royal Norwegian Navy shortly before she was in a collision which led to her loss
On 8 November 2018, while returning from a NATO exercise, she was navigating inshore waters north of Bergen at speeds of up to knots ( km/h; mph). Starting from around 03:40 there was a watch handover on board Helge Ingstad, during which three oncoming vessels were noted. After radio communication was established, and upon being asked to alter course to starboard, to avoid the 250-metre (820 ft), 112,939 t, Maltese-flagged oil tanker Sola TS, escorted by VSP Tenax, which had just left its berth, Helge Ingstad believed the vessel calling them to be one of the oncoming vessels they were tracking on radar. Assuming the tanker, slow moving and with its bright deck lights obscuring its navigation lights, to be part of the shore installation, the frigate intended passing it before altering course moving near her starboard channel margin. By the time they realised their error they were within 400 metres (440 yd) of Sola TS and it was too late to avoid a collision. Preben Ottesen, the ship's commanding officer, stated that he was asleep in his cabin when the collision happened, and was in fact woken by the collision. The collision caused severe damage to Helge Ingstad, which lost control of engine and steering, with a large breach along her side from the starboard torpedo launchers to the stern. The vessel grounded and continued to take on water, through the propeller shaft and stuffing boxes. Seven sailors were injured in the incident. By late morning she had developed a severe list to starboard with most of the stern submerged. Despite damage control efforts the vessel sank in the early hours of 13 November, with only small sections of the superstructure remaining above water.
Size: 6438px × 4292px
Location: Norway
Photo credit: © Troy GB images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: aegis, anti, armed, asw, class, escort, f313, forces, fridtjof, frigate, helge, hnoms, ingstad, knm, kongelige, marine, military, mmsi, nansen, nato, naval, navy, norske, norway, norwegian, royal, sea, ship, sjøforsvaret, submarine, warship
